As fellow members can agree, there are many joys of shopping at Costco— from the ability to buy in bulk to being granted special deals and discounts.
Even with relatively low prices, there is still a possibility for cost increases on some items in 2023, as GoBankingRates reports, so staying aware and prepared is key.
In an interview with the personal finance publication, Julie Ramhold— consumer analyst with DealNews.com— revealed which items she has already noticed having a bigger price tag this month, and which she predicts will also go up in price at Costco soon.
Here’s what we know:
Which Items At Costco Might Be Pricier In 2023?
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1. Eggs
Thanks to the avian flu outbreak, eggs will likely be more expensive and difficult to find at many grocery stores in 2023, apart from Costco. At this specific retailer, though, Ramhold says that Costco has more affordable eggs, even if they seem pricier this year. "Costco still has better prices on eggs than other grocery stores; two dozen cage-free eggs at Costco is around $7 in my area, but a dozen standard eggs at other grocery stores may cost $6 and change, or even more," she explained.
2. Butter
The cost of butter going up, GoBankingRates writes, may be "attributed to a shift in focus for the manufacturers." Ramhold said that manufacturers during the fourth quarter of 2022 were "focused on other dairy products," the site notes, and "this is why some predicted a butter shortage ahead of the holiday season." While there "wasn’t much of a shortage during the season," Ramhold said "shoppers have seen higher butter prices."
3. Bacon
While Costco shoppers can thankfully buy bacon in bulk, Ramhold says that the meat will still be more expensive than usual in the coming months. "At Costco you can get four pounds of bacon for around $19, or $4.75 per pound, whereas at other stores you may be paying far more," Ramhold points out. "A pound of Oscar Mayer bacon, for example, is nearly $11 at some grocery stores near me."
4. Maple Syrup
This upcoming price increase might be surprising for many Costco customers. "Maple syrup is another item we’ve already seen a slight increase in price for," Ramhold says, adding, "Because of inflation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another increase at some point during the year."
5. Breakfast Cereals
This is another product that Ramhold anticipates will go up when it comes to pricing at Costco. "Breakfast cereals have also increased in price due to inflation and raw ingredient cost, but even if the price of wheat drops this year, I doubt it’ll cause cereal prices to drop," she says. "Rather they’re likely to remain the same or increase slightly from where they are now."
Will Costco's Membership Price Increase This Year?
While no one knows for sure whether or not Costco will increase their membership price in the coming year, Ramhold notes that the chain has amped up the cost slightly in the past (this was by $5 and $10 for the basic and premium tiers, respectively).
"Costco has noted it’s a matter of when and not if it’ll raise its membership prices, but it also doesn’t seem to be in a huge hurry to inflict those higher costs on members," she says. "Because of that, it’s just something to keep an eye on for the future."
